DRC posted 10:55 PM Monday, full article

[OldTimer]

Former walk-on Higgs earns scholarship

Sanger native works his way up from scout team

10:55 PM CDT on Monday, August 14, 2006

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

North Texas head coach Darrell Dickey concluded his post-practice talk on Sunday by asking the starters on the Mean Green’s kickoff team to stand up before telling those on scholarship to sit back down.

Only former Sanger standout Cliff Higgs was left standing.

Higgs spent his first three seasons at UNT as a walk-on before Dickey concluded the Mean Green’s morning session by putting Higgs on scholarship as his teammates cheered.

“I was shocked when coach Dickey said he was giving me a scholarship,” Higgs said. “It was a dream come true. I have been working hard for it and I finally got it.”

UNT has a history of developing walk-ons into impact players. Graduate assistant coach and former walk-on Chris Hurd was named the Sun Belt Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2003, while junior linebacker Derek Mendoza has posted 85 tackles in his first two seasons with the Mean Green. UNT defensive backs Roderick Cotton and Tyrone Carter also started out as walk-ons.

UNT’s history of developing walk-ons was one of the reasons Higgs decided to pass on scholarship offers from Trinity Valley and several other junior colleges to pay his own way and play for the Mean Green.

“North Texas was local and has had great success in the last five years,” Higgs said. “I wanted to see if I could play with the big boys, so I decided to stay in the area and have a lot of support around.”

The decision has paid off, both for Higgs and the Mean Green.

Higgs played on the scout team as a redshirt freshman in 2003 and has earned a more prominent role in each season since. He finished with 16 tackles and a sack last season when he played in the Mean Green’s defensive backfield and on special teams.

Higgs was listed as a backup at safety heading into fall practice and is pushing for playing time.

The junior’s conduct off the field also contributed to Dickey’s decision to give him a scholarship.

“First of all, Cliff has never caused any problems off the field and has represented us in a first-class manner,” Dickey said. “Secondly, academically he has been outstanding and is on course to graduate early and thirdly he has been on the scout team, worked himself into a playing role, had an injury, bounced back from it and worked himself back into a playing role.”

Higgs credited his development largely to playing defense fulltime the past few seasons after playing quarterback at Sanger.

“It took a while to understand the philosophy, but last year I felt more comfortable, was able to read offenses better and understood more about the game,” Higgs said.

Higgs’ experience helped convince his brother Chris to walk on at UNT and join the basketball team last season.

“My brother said if I could do it, he could, too,” Higgs said.

The experience wasn’t an easy one, but to Higgs it has been worth it.

“There was a lot of hard work that went into getting a scholarship,” Higgs said. “You have to put a lot of effort into it.”

Players making position changes

Freshmen Chris Neal and Robert Gordon are settling in on offense after being recruited to play other positions.

Gordon was recruited as a defensive back, but has moved to wide receiver. Neal was recruited as an athlete, but said he expected to play defensive back until late in the summer when the Mean Green’s coaches told him he would move to running back.

Both players were moved to bolster the Mean Green’s depth.

UNT is still looking for a backup for starting running back Jamario Thomas and young players to develop at wide receiver.

Junior receiver Brandon Jackson and sophomore Brock Stickler are both battling injuries and have missed extensive practice time.

“One of the reasons we moved Robert is that injuries to Brandon and Brock showed us how thin we could be at wide receiver if a few of our guys get dinged,” Dickey said.

UNT is hoping Neal will develop into a multi-purpose player in the mold of former Mean Green defensive back Ja’Mel Branch.

Center exchange causing problems

UNT continued to struggle with its center-quarterback exchange Monday.

“It’s the only disappointment so far in practice,” Dickey said. “It’s everyone involved, centers and quarterbacks, at different times and in different drills. It’s something we have to correct quickly so we can get better at what we are doing. It’s like a wasted play every time we fumble in practice.”

The Mean Green return starting center Chad Rose, but are working with a pair of newcomers at center in junior Chase Pistole and freshman Kelvin Drake. Pistole made the move from defensive line to center while Drake was a guard in high school.

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

[Eagle1855]

UNT continued to struggle with its center-quarterback exchange Monday.

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This will kill us in the UT game. Their defense is so fast, it is crucial we get this down before the first snap Sept 2nd.

Congrats to Higgs

[PlummMeanGreen]

This will kill us in the UT game. Their defense is so fast, it is crucial we get this down before the first snap Sept 2nd.

Congrats to Higgs

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Kill us in respect to what? Our actually being competitive in a UT/UNT game or keeping the Horns under 100?

Take the money and run on this one (and then tweek the staff & raise our recruiting standards to how they used to be before we suddenly starting majoring in Inferiority Complex 101 in Recruiting Those Other Than Projects again with this football program. Back in the day, when we thought we could----we did.

I'm sorry, I just long for the days when our coaches even had a swagger when they walked into the living rooms of some Texas HS blue chip athletes, ie, Milton Collins (never-mind his bust status because he was still nationally recruitied B4 anyone knew he would be a bust), Burks Washington, Kenny Washington, etc, etc, etc) and because we signed some of them to national letters of intent, we then went out and beat a few people your grandfathers have all actually heard about). QUESTION: Wonder who Middle Tennessee was playing the same day we beat the University of Tennessee Volunteers? In fact, how many of us even knew there was a Middle Tennessee State U on that 1975 October Game Day in Knoxville, Tennessee?

RAISE THE STANDARDS BACK TO WHERE THEY ONCE WERE INSTEAD OF TRYING TO RE-INVENT THE WHEEL ACTING AS THOUGH WE'VE NEVER HAD SUCH STANDARDS BEFORE.

PS: Sorry about the letter size, its just some of us now need the Reader's Digest large letter edition.

Edited August 15, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

[mad dog]

To be fair, every coach and every player has their eyes set on the Texas game. It is spoken of at the end of practice and at the beginning, and many times throughout. The players held a private voluntary meeting to talk about the game, and every single guy on that team wants to beat Texas, both for what it would mean for them and for UNT as a whole.

Just because Coach Dickey doesn't come out and guarantee a win doesn't mean that he's not expecting one.

[edcollopy]

that is very cool that they are talking about the game and not just conceding the game and getting ready for SMU....I'm hoping we get in a low scoring slug fest w/ them and keep it close until the end.

[PlummMeanGreen]

To be fair, every coach and every player has their eyes set on the Texas game.  It is spoken of at the end of practice and at the beginning, and many times throughout.  The players held a private voluntary meeting to talk about the game, and every single guy on that team wants to beat Texas, both for what it would mean for them and for UNT as a whole.

Just because Coach Dickey doesn't come out and guarantee a win doesn't mean that he's not expecting one.

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I'd like to be C.E.O. of Chevron, too, but I think that is just a tad out of my reach so I have to get back to setting more realistic goals.

We have some players at UNT who I feel could start for several Big 12 schools, but our recruiting efforts of late have been such that they just don't have enough quality surrounding them for us to be competitive against the defending national champions.

Our problems at UNT are much more far-reaching than the 2006 football schedule and how we do in that schedule in the opinion of many. I defer to the next sentence.

When UNT starts receiving end of season Top 50 football rankings among the other 117 schools in NCAA D1-A, then we'll know we are making marked progresss in Denton, but many of us don't see this happening with those presently on the UNT payroll. I would think anyone outside of UNT who knows their college football would 9 X's out of 10 confer with that, too.

If we win the SBC, go to the NO's Bowl but still finish with a #95 on up ranking, who are we kidding about the progress of Mean Green football and with our even being the 4'th largest university in the Lone Star State (of which most Texans have little or no respect for our program or our bowl tie-in).

Granted, there are many things at UNT we have no control over (like the Texas Bowl snub among manay and others that will come), but there were many things out of UTEP's control as far as the progress of their football program was concerned, too, until a high ranking UTEP official went outside their usual box (football-wise) & finally had a big light bulb to turn on in his/her brain). 2 years later after that light bulb came on with that high ranking official, the Miners would have a Top 25 ranked football team.

There is no doubt in many minds that Coach Dickey is actually doing the best he can with the job he has and for him I know we all wish much better health, but can this man after years on the UNT payroll ever reach .500 and have a football program that ever gets ranked in the Top 50 (or 75 for that matter)? These questions (and others) would be the questions for many that could even determine some of that groups intere$t in this program under present conditions.

Edited August 15, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

[mad dog]

Ok... hang on. You are saying

"RAISE THE STANDARDS BACK TO WHERE THEY ONCE WERE INSTEAD OF TRYING TO RE-INVENT THE WHEEL ACTING AS THOUGH WE'VE NEVER HAD SUCH STANDARDS BEFORE."

AND

I'd like to be C.E.O. of Chevron, too, but I think that is just a tad out of my reach so I have to get back to setting more realistic goals.

Which stance do you want? Because those seem to be saying you want higher standards, but you also want to settle for "realistic" goals?

[PlummMeanGreen]

Ok... hang on.  You are saying

AND

Which stance do you want?  Because those seem to be saying you want higher standards, but you also want to settle for "realistic" goals?

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Why killl the spirits of a bunch of young men by telling them to BEAT TEXAS (after TEXAS just came off a national championshiop? Have any of our coaches had any college psychology?

What many of us want will not be attained with the present crowd in charge and I believe we have recent history to base that on. Never-minding that the PR aspect with all this with even some of our long-standing fans is not the best many of us have seen, either.

illustrious32, you ain't seen what many of us have seen so you don't have anything to compare to other than what you've heard about.

DD wasn't even a successful offensive coordinator at SMU and you people get excited when he asks you out for a beer? Whatever floats your boats but it takes more than a beer to float this boat.

Edited August 15, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

[MeanGreenEngineer]

Which stance do you want?  Because those seem to be saying you want higher standards, but you also want to settle for "realistic" goals?

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He would like both.

[MeanGreenEngineer]

illustrious32, you ain't seen what many of us have seen so you don't have anything to compare to other than what you've heard about. 

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By that logic, we ain't seen what the coaches have, so we shouldn't question them?

[PlummMeanGreen]

By that logic, we ain't seen what the coaches have, so we shouldn't question them?

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Disagree...

What is the closest we've played UT even before they were of national championship caliber?

Some of you already forgot the worse home loss in our school's history just last September against the Golden Hurricane of Tulsa?

What about a school many thought we had been out-recruiting the last few years (or to their equal at worse) and that being La Tech who also schooled us last Fall.

Why some seem to have no problem with our direction or present status worries some more than even the idea that we might just keep on maintaining our schools status as RNYACC"U", you know, uh, "RE-NEWED YET ANOTHER COACHES CONTRACT U!"

Now go out and drink another beer, fellas while some in our athletic departments fiddle right away wondering when one of the Big Boys (or Little Boys in some cases) hires them away.

[pollock]

Ok... hang on.  You are saying

AND

Which stance do you want?  Because those seem to be saying you want higher standards, but you also want to settle for "realistic" goals?

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Careful. Trying to interpret a PMG post could suck you into a vortex of nonsense from which you will never escape. He has no point. He just likes the way his keyboard sounds.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Careful.  Trying to interpret a PMG post could suck you into a vortex of nonsense from which you will never escape.  He has no point.  He just likes the way his keyboard sounds.

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pollock, I'll try to simplify my posts from now on so that even you can understand them, that a deal?

And I (somewhat) think what I post is pretty black and white in what I am saying albeit some of you Dickey Worshippers of SBC/Bottom 10 Mediocrity @ Its Best attempt to make black and white turn some shade of gray. It may be our alums who keep us small time even more than those we are hiring is what one of the MG Clubs former "large" contributors recently told me and I am beginning to think he is (sadly) close to being right.

Edited August 15, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

[DeepGreen]

Let Plummer speak.

[MeanGreen61]

Why killl the spirits of a bunch of young men by telling them to BEAT TEXAS (after TEXAS just came off a national championshiop?   Have any of our coaches had any college psychology? 

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Don't beleive the post mentioned 'telling them to beat Texas', but that the players and coaches want to beat Texas........a big difference.

Are you saying they shouldn't want to win the game ?

Edited August 15, 2006 by MeanGreen61

[LongJim]

Anyone?

[PlummMeanGreen]

Don't beleive the post mentioned 'telling them to beat Texas', but that the players and coaches would like to beat Texas........a big difference.

Are you saying they shouldn't want to win the game ?

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MG61, I am going on the history of the UNT/UT game (with DD as coach) as my basis for this Falls game.

I think UNT should go for a 2006 NCAA National Championship, too, but I just don't see that happening, either.

BEAT TEXAS! But even more important for the long term, someone please turn this football program into a year in and year out Top 50 program that can win some important OOC games! Asking too much for that am I?

And LongJim ol' buddy, have em' put lots of butter on mine! BTW, I'll let you and the Mrs. know about the next party & soon.

PS: Will someone let me know when this pissing contest is over so I can (safely) put ol' Puff the Magic Dragon back in his cave (and zip up that cave accordingly). Can I say that, Harry?

Edited August 15, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

[good_ken]

Some of you already forgot the worse home loss in our school's history just last September against the Golden Hurricane of Tulsa?

I'm sure the venerable Hayden Frye got blown out once or twice; should we still be angry about those losses? Dude, you gotta get over this lingering anger thing. Its a new season, and hope springs eternal (even in August). That's the glory of a new season, the last one (good or bad) is behind us.

What about a school many thought we had been out-recruiting the last few years (or to their equal at worse) and that being La Tech who also schooled us last Fall.

Out-recruiting. That's a funny word. You are refering to the art of finding kids who will take their game to the next level. Take a minute and read the last 4 DCTF, and see where our graduating classes are ranked. I'll give you a hint, they are very competitively ranked within the state of Texas. I can only assume that you are pissed becuase we aren't recruiting the kids who are ranked in the DMN Top 100; which is a Rivals product. And in case you are neew to college football, I'll explain: those rankings are biased towards kids have any interest expressed in them by BCS schools. Very often those relative rankings have nothing to do with talent. Want proof, check out how kids rankings have changed as they commit to UT.

[MeanGreen61]

I think UNT should go for a 2006 NCAA National Championship, too, but I just don't see that happening, either.

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Fine, but that wasn't what you posted.

[MeanGreenEngineer]

Why some seem to have no problem with our direction or present status worries some more than even the idea that we might just keep on maintaining our schools status as RNYACC"U", you know, uh,  "RE-NEWED YET ANOTHER COACHES CONTRACT U!" 

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That was actually genius. Rick has slowly, by small increments, raised the salaries of the head coaches in many of programs. The football head coach salary is now more than double what it was before Rick.

What does that mean? When Dickey, or Slinker, or Jones leave, we have that much more drawing power for coaching talent.

In years past, if there was a hot coaching prospect who would want $500k to come here, that would be unimaginable to handle. But now? We might be able to stretch the budget to get them here.

[PlummMeanGreen]

I'm sure the venerable Hayden Frye got blown out once or twice; should we still be angry about those losses?  Dude, you gotta get over this lingering anger thing.  Its a new season, and hope springs eternal (even in August).  That's the glory of a new season, the last one (good or bad) is behind us.

Out-recruiting.  That's a funny word.  You are refering to the art of finding kids who will take their game to the next level.  Take a minute and read the last 4 DCTF, and see where our graduating classes are ranked.  I'll give you a hint, they are very competitively ranked within the state of Texas.  I can only assume that you are pissed becuase we aren't recruiting the kids who are ranked in the DMN Top 100; which is a Rivals product.  And in case you are neew to college football, I'll explain: those rankings are biased towards kids have any interest expressed in them by BCS schools.  Very often those relative rankings have nothing to do with talent.  Want proof, check out how kids rankings have changed as they commit to UT.

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Sorry, good_ken, ol' Puff has run out of beer!

Hayden Fry was not perfect, but for NTSU, he was almost perfect. He's also the only coach UNT has ever had thats in the College Football Hall of Fame, albeit was his success at Iowa that made that happen BUT..................there would have been on Iowa for Coach Fry had there not been an NTSU for Coach Fry.

Over and out (at least on this subject).

[MeanGreen61]

Over and out (at least on this subject).

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Finally

[eulesseagle]

I want to hear more about Puff the Magic Dragon.

[PlummMeanGreen]

That was actually genius.  Rick has slowly, by small increments, raised the salaries of the head coaches in many of programs.  The football head coach salary is now more than double what it was before Rick.

What does that mean? When Dickey, or Slinker, or Jones leave, we have that much more drawing power for coaching talent. 

In years past, if there was a hot coaching prospect who would want $500k to come here, that would be unimaginable to handle.  But now? We might be able to stretch the budget to get them here.

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Sorry, one more comment: Responding to that that I put in bold type of your post, MGE, and I respond to that part of your post by saying.....

THEN WHAT THE HELL WE WAITING FOR? ARMAGEDDON?

And to MG61's question: Just use your imagination to what I am posting on this entire subject. I have to leave a few subtle-ties, now don't I?

...............................................................................................

And to Deep Green's: LET PLUMMER SPEAK post? Well, just what is it does the Bible have to say about casting pearls? Come on, Phil, let em' know how you really feel about all this, too.. I know way too many who have stopped caring enough to even post how they feel anymore. AND..............I hope all is fine down there in the Golden Triangle, DG. YET..........Ain't all this more fun than a barrell of monkeys! I just love to see how people try to justify mediocrity. Almost gives me some kind of sordid rush in a way!

Edited August 15, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

[LongJim]

PS:  Will someone let me know when this pissing contest is over so I can (safely) put ol' Puff the Magic Dragon back in his cave (and zip up that cave accordingly).   Can I say that, Harry?

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